Wringer and the like



Feb. 4, 1941. w, KAUFFMAN, 2 2230;885

WRINGER AND THE LIKE' Filed Feb. e, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY y Y A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 4, 1941.

w. L. KAUFFMAN, go I WRINGER AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORN E YS.

Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRINGER AND THE LIKE Application February 6, 1936, Serial No. 62,606

Claims.

Clothes wringers are ordinarily provided with wringer rolls which are subjected to a yielding pressure. The wringer is usually provided with means for adjusting the initial pressure on the rolls, but as different qualities of material are passed through the wringer the amount of separation of the rolls and the arrangement of springs exerting the pressure bring about wide variations of pressure. It is desirable that the operator be informed of the pressure operating on the rolls, not only initially but with relation to the various separations to which the wringer is subjected. The present invention is designed to provide means for this purpose. Features and details of the invention will appear from the specification and claim.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a wringer, partly in section.

Fig. 2 an elevation of the front of the wringer.

Fig. 3 a section on the line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 a perspective view of the pressure indicating devices.

Fig. 6 a front elevation of a modification, partly in section.

Fig. '7 a section on the line 'l---'! in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 an enlarged top view of the release mechanism.

I marks the base of the wringer frame, 2 the side stiles and 3 the top bar. One end of the top bar is secured on the stiles by interlocking shoulders 4 and at the opposite end by a safety release 5, the safety release being of the type described in my application, Serial Number 621,918, filed July 11, 1932 now Patent No. 2,080,318. 6 marks the lower roll and I the shaft of the lower roll which as shown is the drive shaft. The shaft I is journaled in bearings 8 carried by brackets 9 in the stiles. The upper roll as the shaft II) which is journaled in bearings Illa slidingly mounted in the stiles. A spring H exerts pressure on the upper bearing blocks. A screw l2 operates through a nut l3 in the top bar and is swiveled at I2a on the spring. The screw is operable by a handle l4. These parts are, or may be, of common construction.

A movable bar 15 is arranged within the top bar. It is of channel form and has the connecting straps l6 which extend under the ends of the springs and rest on the top bearings. The cross straps I6 are arranged on the lower ends of feet I! extending downwardly from the movable bar [5. These feet extend downwardly into the tops of the stiles so as to rest on the upper bearing blocks as ordinarily formed. Indicating pointers I8, one at the front and one at the rear of the wringer top, are mounted on rods [9 which extend through slots 3a in the front and rear of the top bar and are journaled in perforations I5a in the sides of the movable bar. The rods l9 are secured to and fixed with links 29. The ends of the links 20 opposite the rods [9 are connected by a rod 2| which extends through a loop 22 on the swivel connection l2a, the swivel connection being secured to the spring I I. With the rolls in their normal position and the spring taking up the slack the relative position of the movable bar I5 and the center of the spring is such as to place the pointer, by reason of the linkage between the movable bar and the spring, at its no pressure position. As the spring is deflected the center of the spring is lowered relatively to the supporting straps l6 which rest on the upper blocks. The pointer registers this deflection and the spring exerting a calibrated pressure at each deflection indicates the pressure exerted on the indexes, or scales 24 which are arranged at the front and 25 rear of the top bar. As the rolls are opened the spring is further deflected and the relation between the center of the spring and the level of the movable bar is changed in response to each separation and the pointer again registers the pressure on the rolls corresponding to the pressure incident to this deflection of the spring. In this manner it is possible to indicate the pressure exerted by the spring under all conditions of wringer operation from the initial adjustment, or setting of the pressure to any operating pressure that may be involved in the wide separation of the rolls incident to large loads.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6-, 7 and 8, the wringer frame, rolls, top bar, and adjusting screw are similar to those already described in relation to the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. A movable base 26 is provided with a collapsing fluid receptacle 21. The opposite end of the receptacle is mounted by a clip 28 on the spring. The receptacle is connected by a tube 29 with a tube 30 of a fluid pressure indicator 3| in which the pointer 32 indicates the pressure to which the fluid in the collapsible receptacle is subjected. This fluid pressure is responsive to the pressure exerted on the spring and the pressure indicator is calibrated with relation to the fluid pressures incident to pressure exerted by the spring on the collapsible container so that the pressure exerted 55 by the spring on the rolls is at all times indicated on the pressure indicator.

While I have exemplified my invention as applied to wringers, I wish it to be understood that the invention extends to wringers and the like in which there are squeezing rolls utilized for operating upon clothes.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a wringer and the like, the combination of a frame; a pair of rolls mounted in the frame, one of which is movable means exerting pressure on the rolls; a movable member movable with both ends of the upper roll; mechanism connected with the means and the member; and an indicator responsive to relative movement between the member and the means whereby the pressure on the rolls is indicated.

2. In a wringer and the like, the combination of a frame; a pair of rolls mounted in the frame, one of which is movable; means exerting pressure on the rolls; a movable member movable with both ends of the upper roll; mechanism connected with the means and the member; and an indicator responsive to relative movement between the member and the means whereby the pressure on the rolls is indicated; and means initially variably adjusting the pressure exerting means.

3. In a Wringer and the like, the combination of a frame; a pair of rolls mounted in the frame one of which is movable to and from the other;

a movable bar moving with the movable roll; a spring having its ends moving with the movable bar; means exerting pressure on the center of the spring; a connection between the center of the spring and the bar responding to relative movement between the bar and the center of the spring; and a pressure indicating means actuated by the connection indicating the varying pressures as clothes are passed through the wringer.

4. In a wringer and the like, the combination of a frame; a pair of rolls mounted in the frame, one of which is movable to and from the other; a movable bar moving with the movable roll; a spring having its ends moving with the movable bar; means exerting pressure on the center of the spring; a connection between the center of the spring and the bar responding torelative movement between the bar and the center of the spring; a pressure indicating means actuated by the connection indicating the varying pressures as clothes are passed through the wringer; and an index indicating the degree of variation.

5. In a wringer or the like, the combination of a frame; a pair of rolls mounted in the frame, one of which is movable toward and from the other roll; a leaf spring exerting yielding pressure on both ends of the movable roll so as to urge the latter toward the other roll; devices operating on the center of the leaf spring for adjusting the same; and an indicating mechanism indicating the cumulative pressure exerted by the means in response to variations of the adjustment and variations in displacement at both ends of the movable roll.

WALTER L. KAUFFMAN, II. 

